Maurice Benard celebrates 25 years as Sonny on 'General Hospital'

Benard is known for his portrayal of mob boss Sonny Corinthos. The cast and crew of General Hospital surprised Benard with a cake, as well as T-shirts that were custom-made for this landmark occasion.

In his gracious speech for this surprise celebration, Benard had joked that fellow cast-mate Steve Burton has dubbed him as the "male Susan Lucci," so in return, Benard stated that he "had to win that Emmy."

Throughout his career in the acting and entertainment business, Benard was nominated for seven Daytime Emmy awards, winning the Daytime Emmy award for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" in 2003.

Next week, Benard will be participating in a West Coast General Hospital fan event, as part of Coastal Entertainment. On Saturday, August 25, Benard will be at Punchline Comedy Club in Sacramento, California; moreover, on Saturday, September 29, Benard will be at Irvine Improv in Irvine, California.